Written Answers Wednesday 22 March 2006

Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

Mr Jim Wallace (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what cost was incurred by the Scottish Ambulance Service in calling out a Ministry of Defence helicopter to airlift a patient from Kirkwall to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary on 12 March 2006.

Mr Andy Kerr: As a rule it takes the Ministry of Defence up to six months to submit invoices for such missions. I have asked the Scottish Ambulance Service to write to you and let you know the cost as soon as the invoice has been received.

Cycling

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following a reduction in Sustrans funding from £3.5 million in 2004-05 to £2 million for 2005-06, it considers that Sustrans is still able to complete 50 cycle project schemes in six months to a high standard, delivered on budget and within tight timescales.

Tavish Scott: I can confirm that Sustrans has been awarded a grant of £2 million in 2005-06 for projects to improve the National Cycle Network in Scotland. Sustrans submitted a progress report on 13 March and with it confirmed that it is on schedule to complete all projects within the terms of the Schedule of Grant conditions.

Cycling

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers guidance to local authorities and transport partnerships for applications for funding or match-funding for large-scale cycle infrastructure projects to be adequate, in light of the abolition of the Public Transport Fund.

Tavish Scott: Funding allocations for the seven regional transport partnerships were announced on 15 December 2005, and statutory guidance on regional transport strategies was published on 10 March 2006. The regional transport partnerships will be responsible for determining their own priorities, which may include support for large-scale cycle infrastructure projects. Regional transport partnerships are well placed to make informed decisions over such projects.

Cycling

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9677 by Nicol Stephen on 9 August 2004, which local authorities have approached it to discuss funding for cycle infrastructure projects and what the outcomes were.

Tavish Scott: No local authorities have approached Executive officials to discuss possible funding for major cycle infrastructure projects since question S2W-9677, which was answered on 3 November 2005. The development and funding of such projects is now a matter for the statutory regional transport partnerships.

  Discussions have been on-going with the south-east Scotland transport partnership (SESTRAN), through Falkirk Council, regarding support funding in relation to the Round the Forth Cycle Route since October 2004. In May 2005 the Scottish Executive agreed to match-fund 50% of the £120,000 requested by SESTRAN, for a period of three years, ending in 2007-08.

Cycling

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that regional transport partnerships make proper provision for cycle projects by specifying a minimum percentage of their funding to be used for that purpose or by rewarding partnerships that do include such schemes in their regional transport strategies.

Tavish Scott: The statutory guidance on regional transport strategies that was published on 10 March 2006 is based on planning for integrated transport networks that take account of the needs of all users and of the contribution that can be made by all modes, including cycling. It is for the regional transport partnerships themselves to agree their own regional objectives and priorities in line with the process set out in that guidance and consistent with the objectives of the forthcoming National Transport Strategy. There are no plans to specify funding percentages per mode.

Cycling

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the £17 million scheme by the Department for Transport for six experimental cycle-friendly towns, it will implement a similar scheme in Scotland or use reward mechanisms to encourage partnerships to undertake similar projects.

Tavish Scott: Executive funding for cycling infrastructure projects within towns in Scotland is being provided through Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets allocations to local authorities as well as financial allocations to the Regional Transport Partnerships which can be used for cycling projects. It will be for local authorities and Regional Transport Partnerships to prioritise and implement any cycling schemes or initiatives.

Electoral Register

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what allowance is made in the annual local government financial settlement for the compilation and maintenance of the electoral register.

George Lyon: The allowances made in the local government financial settlement for the compilation and maintenance of the electoral register for the financial years 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 are set out in the following table, along with the projected allocation for 2007-08. These are the Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) allocations used to distribute the grant, however, local authorities have the freedom to spend the majority of the money provided through the settlement according to their own local needs and priorities, providing that they meet their statutory requirements.

  Provision Made in the Annual Local Government Financial Settlement

  

Financial Year
(£ Million)


2004-05
4.256


2005-06
4.416


2006-07
4.438


2007-08
4.473

Forestry

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it, or any of its agencies, has raised revenues from the sale of carbon rights in trees and, if so, what revenues have been raised in each of the last three years and how these revenues were then used.

Ross Finnie: No revenues have been raised directly by the Executive or its agencies from the sale of carbon rights in trees. However, Forestry Commission Scotland is part of the Scottish Forest Alliance – a collaboration working to expand native woodland on sites managed by RSPB Scotland, the Woodland Trust Scotland and Forestry Commission Scotland – which has attracted private investment for the establishment of native woodland in return for potential access to carbon rights.

Freedom of Information

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the issuing of a public interest immunity certificate is discussed with the party or parties whose actions or works are to be the subject of the certificate.

Colin Boyd QC: This would depend on the circumstances of the case. It is not uncommon in cases in which an issue of public interest immunity arises for there to be discussions between the parties or their legal representatives as to the importance or relevance of the document or information in question and whether there is any scope for agreeing relevant facts without disclosing sensitive or confidential information.

Freedom of Information

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many public interest immunity certificates have been issued in each year since 1999.

Colin Boyd QC: No public interest immunity certificates were issued in the years 1999 to 2003. Five certificates were issued in 2004 and two certificates have been issued in 2006.

Freedom of Information

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many public interest immunity certificates have been considered but not issued in each year since 1999.

Colin Boyd QC: Three public interest immunity certificates were signed but not deployed in 2005 and one certificate has been signed but not deployed this year. There is no central record of cases in which a question of public interest immunity has arisen for consideration but where, for whatever reason, a certificate has not been signed.

Freedom of Information

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are for issuing a public interest immunity certificate.

Colin Boyd QC: A claim for public interest immunity may be advanced where it is considered that disclosure of a document would be harmful to the public interest. If disclosure of a document might be harmful to the public interest consideration will be given to whether the public interest in its disclosure outweighs the interest in its non disclosure. This will depend on the facts of the case; how important the document is to the rights or interests of the person who seeks its disclosure; the degree of risk and the nature of the harm to the public interest which might result from disclosure.

Freedom of Information

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who considers whether the criteria for issuing a public interest immunity certificate have been met.

Colin Boyd QC: The minister who signs the certificate.

Freedom of Information

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what procedure must be followed before a public interest immunity certificate can be issued.

Colin Boyd QC: There are no prescribed procedures which have to be followed before a public interest immunity certificate is issued. A public interest immunity certificate must be signed by a minister.

Freedom of Information

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who considers whether the procedures for issuing a public interest immunity certificate have been carried out correctly.

Colin Boyd QC: I refer to the answer to question S2W-24117 on 22 March 2006 in which I explained that there are no prescribed procedures for issuing public interest immunity certificates. The question posed does not arise.

Freedom of Information

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers it appropriate to place a public interest immunity certificate on information that is already wholly in the public domain.

Colin Boyd QC: This would depend on the facts of the case and the circumstances in which the information had come to be in the public domain. For example, the public interest might weigh in favour of a claim being asserted where the information had been obtained in breach of a duty of confidentiality or in breach of the principles in the Data Protection Act 1998 , particularly where the public interest in non disclosure of the type of information in question was a strong one.

Freedom of Information

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers it appropriate to place a public interest immunity certificate on information that is already partially in the public domain.

Colin Boyd QC: This would depend on the facts of the case and the circumstances in which the information had come to be in the public domain. For example, the public interest might weigh in favour of a claim being asserted where the information had been obtained in breach of a duty of confidentiality or in breach of the principles in the Data Protection Act 1998 , particularly where the public interest in non-disclosure of the type of information in question was a strong one.

Fuel Poverty

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21188 by Malcolm Chisholm on 5 December 2005, whether it has concluded its consultation on the Executive’s fuel poverty programmes and, if so, what plans it has to increase the maximum grant entitlement under the Warm Deal scheme.

Malcolm Chisholm: We have concluded the consultation on the Executive’s fuel poverty programmes.

  I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-24143 on 14 March 2006. The maximum grant for the Warm Deal will be maintained at £500. Work is being done to maximise the impact of this scheme by ensuring it operates effectively alongside Energy Efficiency Commitment funding.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what investigation has been undertaken into the health impact on the population of areas affected by the Chernobyl incident.

Mr Andy Kerr: The only potential effect on public health that might be anticipated as a result of exposure to radioactive materials from the Chernobyl incident is an increase in the incidence of some forms of cancer such as thyroid cancer in children. However, no trends in cancer incidence suggestive of an effect of radioactive fallout from Chernobyl have been demonstrated by the comprehensive systems currently in place for the collection and analysis of cancer statistics in the UK. The results of various programmes of monitoring of the levels of radioactive substances in food and the environment suggest that a detectable increase in any cancer types is unlikely for any areas of the UK.

  No specific investigation into the health impact on the population of areas of Scotland affected by the Chernobyl incident has therefore been made.

Health

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23740 by Mr Andy Kerr on 10 March 2006, what research it has carried out into patient deaths or serious illness resulting from misdiagnoses by NHS 24 and consequent failure to attend a consultant-led accident and emergency hospital.

Mr Andy Kerr: Whilst specific research into patient deaths has not been undertaken, NHS 24 and its partner NHS boards communicate regularly and feedback from clinicians in other parts of the service is actively encouraged by NHS 24 and local out-of-hours services.

  Along with patient/caller complaints, comments and compliments, this feedback mechanism forms part of NHS 24’s robust and thorough quality improvement and performance management programme, which ensures that calls and patient records are reviewed as part of any investigation. On-going training and development requirements for each individual member of staff are included in the resource requirements of the service.All frontline staff are supported by an individual Professional Development Plan, regular call consultation reviews and robust support and supervision by their team leader. All learning, including that from partner and patient comments, complaints and compliments, is fed back both to the individual and into the organisation. This includes the examples of best practice that are routinely highlighted by call and consultation review.NHS 24’s nurses are not asked to make a diagnosis of a caller’s symptoms – their clinical assessment determines the best next step in a patient’s care, primarily during the out-of-hours period when GP practices are closed. This may be self-care advice, to allow the patient to look after themselves at home without the need to be referred to another part of the service; it may be that the patient is asked to attend a local Primary Care Emergency Centre to see a doctor or nurse face-to-face; a GP home visit may also be arranged – these outcomes are based on clinical need. Details of contacts with out-of-hours services are then sent to the patient’s own GP practice the next working day, for follow-up if required and for information.NHS 24’s outcomes direct patients to the most appropriate care setting – as do those of the Scottish Ambulance Service. NHS 24’s nurses use a computer-based system as a support tool and they are encouraged to exercise their own clinical judgment to determine the most appropriate outcome for patients. Both services differentiate between local Minor Injury Units (MIUs) and Accident and Emergency departments and will arrange attendance at the most appropriate place for the individual’s clinical needs. Varying levels of service may be provided in different locations, and this is managed by local NHS boards.It is important to remember that, for immediately life-threatening conditions, people should always call 999 for an emergency ambulance. NHS 24 can, however, transfer calls to the Scottish Ambulance Service if an ambulance is required – it is then up to the ambulance crew where they take the patient, based on their own assessment of the patient’s needs.

Health

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Housing

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to increase the provision of affordable housing.

Malcolm Chisholm: The full extent of the Executive’s comprehensive programme to increase the provision of affordable housing in Scotland is set out in our Housing Policy Statement , Homes for Scotland’s People  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/development/hfsphp.pdf published last year, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 35778). We are implementing the actions set out in the statement.

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the possible consequences are resulting from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court 1998 and the International Criminal Court (Scotland) Act 2001 should State officials in Scotland refuse to investigate the crime of torture, were the crime to have international character under Articles 7(1)(f) or 8(2)(a)(ii) of the Rome Statute.

Colin Boyd QC: The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court 1998 permits the International Criminal Court to exercise its jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes when the national authority is unable or unwilling to prosecute.

  Scots law is perfectly equipped to deal with the crime of torture. In Scotland if there is credible and reliable information that a crime has been, or is to be committed, it is for the police to investigate. If they secure sufficient evidence for consideration of criminal proceedings, the police will report the result of their investigation to the Procurator Fiscal. Procurators fiscal and the police will act if and when the information available justifies such action.

MMR Vaccine

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of a recent report that Dr Peter Fletcher, former Chief Scientific Officer at the Department of Health and Assessor to the Committee on the Safety of Medicines, previously responsible for deciding whether new vaccines were safe, believes that the evidence suggests that for a proportion of children MMR is not safe and that the Government is guilty of "utterly inexplicable complacency", what urgent action will be taken to provide parents with the choice of single vaccines rather than MMR.

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the Department of Health’s previous response to Dr Fletcher’s claims which can be found at:

  http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/PressReleases/PressReleasesNotices/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4009879&chk=2/XPDP.The response was made in 2001 and lists the evidence then. It also points out that Dr Fletcher was not in fact involved in the licensing of these vaccines. Since that time there have been a series of studies which have reinforced the evidence that MMR is safe.

NHS Staff

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many biomedical scientists are employed by each NHS board in (a) clinical chemistry, (b) haematology, (c) microbiology and (d) pathology.

Mr Andy Kerr: The latest available figures for the number of biomedical scientists employed by each NHS board are available from Information Services Division, NHS National Services Scotland via the following web link www.isdscotland.org/isd/files/WFF01_HB.xls .

Public Transport

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what strategies are in place to protect passengers and drivers from attack on (a) buses and (b) trains.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive continues to work in partnership with local authorities, transport operators and others on a range of deterrent and enforcement measures to make public transport safer for both passengers and staff.

  Initiatives include the issuing of swab kits to train and bus drivers for the collection of DNA evidence which has led to successful convictions, the provision of CCTV coverage at stations and on buses and trains, and public awareness campaigns highlighting both the penalties associated with unacceptable behaviour and how the public and staff can help by reporting incidents.The Executive attaches the greatest importance to the safety of all passengers and public transport staff, and transport operators and the police will continue to have our full support in dealing with any assaults.

Roads

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21646 by Tavish Scott on 7 March 2006, why, if the decision had been taken not to proceed with the Glenmayne scheme in November 2005, this was not confirmed until 7 March 2006.

Tavish Scott: It is not normal practice to announce the decision to suspend work on a particular road scheme.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Roads

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21646 by Tavish Scott on 7 March 2006, whether the statement in its news release of 20 March 2003 that the Glenmayne scheme would offer "substantial road safety and economic benefits" still applies, notwithstanding the decision not to proceed with the scheme.

Tavish Scott: The statement in the news release referred to nine separate schemes. Following subsequent development work and consideration of all options available, it no longer applies to the scheme at Glenmayne.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Roads

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21646 by Tavish Scott on 7 March 2006, what analysis of value for money of the Glenmayne scheme was carried out prior to its announcement on 20 March 2003.

Tavish Scott: An operational analysis of the route was carried out be Scottish Borders Council using the computer model Route Evaluation from Vehicle Simulation (REVS). This did not provide a specific economic assessment of the project but quantitatively indicated the prospect for journey time savings and the improvement of journey time reliability amongst the wider costs and benefit relating to the Government’s five criteria.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Roads

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21646 by Tavish Scott on 7 March 2006, which individuals and organisations were notified, and on which date, of the decision not to proceed with the Glenmayne scheme.

Tavish Scott: On 17 November 2005, Mr Neil Cloughley, West Lodge, Glenmayne was notified that the scheme was not being taken forward at this time, thereby allowing him to develop plans for his garden. This letter was also copied to Councillor Fiona Moore of Planning and Economic Development at Scottish Borders Council as she had previously expressed an interest in the scheme.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Sexual Health

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance on long acting reversible contraception in relation to Respect and Responsibility: Strategy and Action Plan for Improving Sexual Health .

Mr Andy Kerr: The national strategy makes clear that the Executive would expect the full range of contraceptive methods to be made available to patients.

  The National Sexual Health Advisory Committee has set up a number of sub-groups to consider the implementation of various aspects of the strategy. The provision of appropriate contraception including the use of long acting reversible contraception is being considered by one of these sub-groups. The guidelines developed by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence will be reviewed as part of this.

Sexual Health

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether an audit has taken place of the implementation of Respect and Responsibility: Strategy and Action Plan for Improving Sexual Health and, if so, whether it will publish details of that audit, broken down by NHS board for the years for which data are available.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Executive has written to all NHS boards copied to local authorities asking for information on progress with regard to the recommendations within the strategy and about their inter-agency strategies and clinical plans. This will be reported to the National Sexual Health Advisory Committee (NSHAC), and it is our intention to publish an annual progress report, with the first one due in the summer of 2006. These annual reviews will be complemented by a more comprehensive five yearly review, carried out by NSHAC.

Transport

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22467 by Patricia Ferguson on 31 January 2006, whether it will outline how it believes the investment made in transport by it in 2005-06 to 2007-08 will bring "competitive advantage" to Scotland.

Tavish Scott: Transport Scotland will work with First ScotRail, Network Rail and industry partners to ensure that the services delivered on these new links maximise the benefits to the people of Scotland and the economy. In addition, the planned investment in rail links to Edinburgh and Glasgow Airports will improve Scotland’s connectivity.

Transport

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what total public expenditure on transport, both directly by it and by local authorities, has been in each year since 1999.

Tavish Scott: Information on total public expenditure incurred by the Scottish Executive on transport is included in its annual Core Departments’ Resource Accounts, copies of which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 12591, 18347, 25810, 30395, 34776 and 38261).